Except PV Gas which still closed up 5.3 per cent by the end of the session, afternoon selling pressure reduced growth of Vingroup (VIC) and Vinamilk (VNM) to just 0.2 per cent each in the afternoon.

According to report by analysts from BIDV Securities Co, banking stocks including Vietcombank, Vietinbank and BIDV were among the biggest losers. However, their slumps remained below 2 per cent, low enough to have a limited impact on the market and meaning the VN-Index closed slightly above its starting point.

Petroleum groups continued to prop up the market with the breakout of PV Gas (up 5.3 per cent), PetroVietnam Drilling & Well Services (4.6 per cent), PetroVietnam Technical Services (4.2 per cent) and Petrolimex (1.4 per cent).

In the global markets, crude oil gained on Wednesday following the forecast that US crude oil production will rise more slowly in 2019 than previously expected. US sanctions continued to squeeze Iranian crude exports.

Foreign traders continued to comb local stocks when they bought more than VNĐ175 billion (US$7.5 million) of shares on the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange, lifting their total net buying value in the last four sessions to VNĐ941 billion.

Their net buy value in Hà Nội was about VNĐ14 billion.

On the Hà Nội Stock Exchange, the HNX-Index rose for a second day to close up 0.2 per cent at 111.65 points. It increased by 0.7 per cent on Tuesday.

A total of 236.4 million shares, worth a combined VNĐ4.9 trillion ($209.4 million), were traded in the two markets. This level was nearly unchanged from the previous session.

According to Trần Hải Yến, a stock analyst at Bảo Việt Securities Co, the market may still suffer some volatility in the coming sessions. She suggested investors maintain stock exposure at a moderate level and avoid aggressive buying.

Shares on the Unlisted Public Company Market (UPCoM) tred water, with the UP-Index closed almost unchanged compared to Tuesday at 51.46 points. – VNS